NDM Story #32 - Change never stops, but we will always need journalism

Change never stops, but we will always need journalism

Summary:

This article suggests that regardless of how things change, journalism will always have an important place within society. It discusses the authors' history within journalism. In an attempt to persuade readers that journalism is important, this article discusses a range of pros and cons considering both print media as well as new and digital, online media.

• Britain devoured around 15m newspapers each morning. Now it’s 6m and falling.

My opinion:

I think that this article has a good outlook on its topic matter and is very relevant in terms of today's press. It is also good that it considers past elements of the industry, relating it to the present and comparing and contrasting between the two.

NDM Story #31 - I declare 2016 the year of the group chat – social media your own way

I declare 2016 the year of the group chat – social media your own way

Summary:

This lady discusses her encounters with group messaging as a phenomenon which makes an impact in her life - she mentions that she even used this method of communication on her wedding way which shows how important it must be to her daily life.

No stats

My opinion:
I think that this is an interesting article because it highlights how much communication has changed on a mass level. She also compares group chats to singular chats and discusses the variety of group chats she has which is highly relatble - group chats can be used for family, friends and even more recently, coworkers.

NDM Story #30 - Facebook Will Fact-Check Its News Feed and Shame Fake Posts With 'Disputed' Tag

Facebook Will Fact-Check Its News Feed and Shame Fake Posts With 'Disputed' Tag

Summary:

In line with the many previous articles which have been produced as a result of Facebook's lack of fact-checking of false news stories being posted via their site, this article discusses the backlash that has occurred as a result which is being seen as Facebook trying to counteract their previous mistakes by publicly blasting any posts."The most important thing is to give users the information at the time they are deciding whether to click, whether to share," Mr. Jarvis said.

There are no statistics within this article.

My opinion:

I think that this is an interesting approach towards combating this issue as they will be allowing users to be aware of falsified data. The fact that they are using multiple fact-checking organisations for this project is also good as it means that they are both willing to put in the finances as well as attempting to make this process the most effective it could be. The comment made by Mr Jarvis is also very interesting and I agree that this is the right way to go about things as it does allow readers to make an informed decision about what they want to read. However, I will admit that the fact that these posts will be "flagged" could generate even more publicity since the nature of the post would be fake and therefore readers may still be intrigued on what other fake news people are creating, which could cause even more of an issue.

NDM Story #29 - News publishers contributed £5.3bn to the UK economy in 2015

News publishers contributed £5.3bn to the UK economy in 2015

Summary:

According to a report commissioned by the News Media Association, the news industry's trading body, newsbrands generated £4.8bn revenue, supported 87,500 jobs and invested £97m in digital services.

Their £4.8bn revenue was achieved via circulation of these papers as well as advertisement revenue.

However, in order for continued success in this sector, they do need to maintain their monetisation of newsbrand content. As always, reference to possible threats of social media sites such as Facebook and Google have been made, almost serving as a warning for this industry to still be aware of the circumstances yet persevere in their work.

Statistics:

• 90% of revenue stayed within the UK in comparison to 77% of the general revenue remaining in the UK economy by all industries in total.
• Publishers account for 58% of the total investment in news production.

My opinion:

I think this article is interesting and am pleasantly surprised to see this type of data being presented, particularly given that the majority of news throughout this year, regarding the possible successes of brands within newspaper industry have been largely negative and suggestive of a major decline in this sector. Therefore, to read an article that is more positive with regards to newspapers' achievements both within the industry and on wider scale, contributing to the economy in general, is good to see. I'm also glad to have read that there are other benefits of the UK journalism industry which don't seem to have been previously mentioned - such as its effect on increased literacy rates across the country.

NDM Story #28 - Fake news could affect next UK election, warns Channel 4 executive

Fake news could affect next UK election, warns Channel 4 executive

Summary:

This article discusses fake news, yet again; however, this time it is from a UK perspective. People are concerned that the issues that were supposedly caused by "fake news stories" in the US (for example, people being held at gunpoint in a pizza restaurant that was reported to be related to Hilary Clinton) would also occur in the UK when we have our own elections. They believe that these stories affected public votes and suggested that the same phenomenon would happen here. Therefore, three years prior to UK elections, they are requesting government intervention in order to prevent this from happening. They believe that the onus is on companies such as Google and Facebook despite these companies claims that they are merely technology companies as opposed to media associations. They also think that these firms are unlikely to "step up" and take responsibility for their actions which is why they are keen on gaining government intervention.

•A Buzzfeed survey found that 75% of adults believed fake news stories

•Facebook’s recent revelations that it has not been giving advertisers and publishers accurate information about how their content performs on the network as an example of the company’s lack of transparency.

My opinion:

I am quite shocked at the figures which display the number of gullible adults believing these news stories as I would have expected this number to be lower for them but this figure to be more representative of the younger population. This therefore displays ignorance from the public and shows that they don't seem to want to know the truth, as long as it reinforces perhaps their own opinions and vain desires. I understand why UK politicians may be concerned as it definitely could affect votes for the election. However, my personal belief is that the elections are rigged anyway so it wouldn't make a difference to the final result; whoever wins would've won regardless. Therefore, I think all of this hype over fake news is overly broadcast and although I see why it may cause a moral panic, I don't think it would have a huge impact in the future for the UK.

NDM Story #27 - Complex Media shuts down print magazine after 14 years

Complex Media shuts down print magazine after 14 years

Summary:

Complex magazine (print) is being shutdown, in order to go "all-digital" after 14 years of being published and as a result, they've had to lay off staff which has led to them pleeing to others online for a job, insisting that they still have the skills required for journalism or photography etc. Earlier this year, it’s network of blogging websites were acquired by Hearst and Verizon in a deal reportedly worth between $250-300 million.

Opinion:

I think this displays yet another example of media becoming less traditional and more digital which has clearly had huge impacts on the staff who work there. I think it's interesting that they're using digital media (Twitter) to inform others of their job loss and request people to hire them which shows that there were dire consequences for Complex's decision.

NDM News: Globalisation and fake news

The Guardian & the global problem of fake news

1) What similarities do you notice between the different countries outlined in the article and their problems with fake news?

One thing in common that inhabitants who are producing fake news within each country is that they are tending to be "far right" wing with regards to their political stance. This shows that these people who are producing these stories and posting them online are quite against Trump and opposed to the results of the elections. The main problem that these countries (France, Germany, India, Italy, China, Brazil & Australia) are facing is that people are commenting about American news, spreading it globally which has also, in effect, led to Americans believing these stories as well, showing globalisation to have a negative impact on citizens.

2) Is fake news an inevitable consequence of the "culture of freedom and innovation" that the internet has brought with it? Is there a way to stop it?

In my opinion, this statement is true because the internet has posed lack of censorship issues which allow everyday citizens to express their rights to freedom of speech whether their "speech" be truthful or lies. However, I don't think that it's necessarily just the everyday citizens who partake in this false journalism as I'm sure there are "professionals" who have also cooked up many stories regarding dishonest information in order to generate revenue and profits for their own selfish desires. I don't think there is a way to prevent it, to be honest, as censorship is very difficult to undertake especially since fake stories most likely would outnumber the amount of gatekeepers there are. The only thing that can be done is to make a news story regarding fake news stories, informing readers and viewers of the fraud and suggesting that they be more aware and less susceptible to deceit produced and promoted by/on social media.

New York Times and the creation of fake news

1) Which fake news stories were particularly successful for Beqa Latsabidze, the 22-year-old student in Tbilisi, Georgia, who tried to make money from web articles on Trump? 

One of the news stories that was successful was that Mexico was going to close its borders to Americans which the author, Latsabidze claimed "no one would believe" and that it was just "satire" as opposed to fake news. This, in my opinion, is just his excuse for trying to get away with it. However, it could be the case that it is just satire in which case I think there should be a clear disclaimer on his sites and pages of this matter in order that the audiences can distinguish from real, fake news and "satire".

2) How much can Facebook and Google be blamed for this global rise in fake news?

I personally don't think that any blame is on them because they are simply providing a platform for people to speak out on whatever they wish. In real life, people could protest or create posters/flyers of stories that weren't real. Therefore, I don't think they are to blame. However, I do realise that this wouldn't usually be the case on such a global basis which means that these stories wouldn't have been so widely spread but there would always have been one company at least that would have created such a platform and I don't see it fair that they are now being held accountable for other people's mischief and deception

NDM News: Globalisation - Cultural Imperialism

1) Is our news influenced by American cultural imperialism? Give some examples arguing for or against this perspective.

Our news is influenced by American cultural imperialism, in my opinion since, as Pareto's Law suggests, the majority of consumers are serve by the minority of producers (6 of which are media conglomerates based in America). This shows that a lot of global news will, as a result be affected by American bias. An example of this is how news about this year's presidential elections in America has been broadcast presumably worldwide and the UK has definitely received a fair share of this news. This shows that our news has been Americanised as it seems and is assumed that America's current affairs could and would have a direct impact on the UK.

2) Has the increased globalisation of news improved the audience experience? How? Why?

I think it has because we are now aware of cross cultural issues and can use the news to compare and contrast between the positives and negatives of different countries including economic differences, moments of crisis etc. This can allow us to be able to attempt to help countries in need and request help from others internationally when we are in a crisis (for example during the recession which was a major financial crisis for the UK in 2008).


3) Has globalisation benefitted or damaged major news institutions? How? Why?

I think, particularly for the Daily Mail and Huffington Post, globalisation has largely benefitted them as it has allowed their brand identity and overall business to expand and grow internationally due to the internet. I wouldn't have otherwise known about Huffington Post, if it wasn't for the internet and I'm sure that's the case for other Brits and inhabitants of other countries worldwide.

NDM Story #26 - Can 'The Great British Bake Off' Rise on Ad-Supported TV?

Can 'The Great British Bake Off' Rise on Ad-Supported TV?

Summary:

This article discusses the possible implications of "The Great British Bake Off" being moved from an Ad-free BBC to Channel 4 which thrives off of its ad revenue. It has shown that three out of the four presenter refuse to continue working as part of the show if the show is going to be switching channels which shows their loyalty to the BBC as a television network. It is assumed that similar implications would be had on audience members who have a similar degree of brand loyalty with regards to the BBC, particularly since they don't get disturbed by advertisements while watching the show.

• It would cost the show  $187,000 to produce an ad in a 30-second slot

My opinion:

I think that the show shouldn't move to Channel 4 as it could cause viewer disturbance and the show could face a large number of decreased viewership. The fact that even the majority of presenters are unhappy with the possible decision and are almost threatening to strike as a result of it, shows that this decision could have dire consequences for the general running and future successes of the show.

NDM Story #25 - The paywalls come down and readers flood in. But revenue doesn’t

The paywalls come down and readers flood in. But revenue doesn’t

Summary:

Even the sun had a rise in readership despite the paywall, but Murdoch still decided to to take it down. 'Though the Mail, Guardian and Mirror still marched upwards with combined (print, mobile, laptop and tablet) readership figures year-on-year, However the National Readership Survey doesn't measure revenue from advertisement. 

• Paywalls we implemented in an attempt to try and make money where the ad revenue was failing both online and in print.
• The Times has lost almost 90% of online readership since the installation of the paywall

My opinion:

I think that paywalls are quite pointless to have because as displayed, revenue wouldn't increase whether they are there are not since it hasn't accounted for money from advertisement which shows that that is where the money comes from. If it was a pay-per-click service, that would make more sense in order to achieve revenue. 

Media Factsheet: Globalisation and capitalism

1) Who coined the phrase 'a global village' and what multinational companies illustrate this?

McLuhan developed this term which is defined as "where countries are becoming interconnected or more interdependent, especially in economic terms." One MNC which is an example of how we've become a global village is Coca Cola who have expanded their firms internationally due to increased levels of trade between different countries (predominantly between one LDC and one developed country) which has also contributed to embracing cultural differences. This is the process defined as globalisation. John B. Thompson's definition is "growing interconnectedness of different parts of the world, a process which gives rise to the complex form of the interaction and interdependency" which demonstrates a somewhat positive view of the concept of globalisation. Goods and services have now been enhanced and are able to travel faster between various countries as a result of cargo being efficiently transported between each nation. This can occur within many industries of sales and marketing. This ability has been particularly heightened since the World Trade Organisation has allowed firms to easily produce and transport their goods via the process of free trade. This also allows MNCs from western areas to take advantage of cheaper labour costs abroad allowing for cheap production of products e.g. clothes production in India.

2) What role does Slavoj Zizek suggest the media plays in global capitalism? How can you link this to our previous work on Marxism and Hegemony?

Zizek believes that global capitalism is yet another way to manipulate those who are disadvantaged whilst also deceiving the citizens of the West into believing that good is being done when really there's still a lot of corruption, manipulation and exploitation occurring which reinforces the power of Western countries. Hegemony links in with this idea as it displays the public's willingness to obey those in power and control since they accept that people are being exploited in other countries yet don't do anything about it, presumably because they are either afraid or genuinely believe that they have no power at all to prevent the corruption from occurring in the land.

3) What does 'capitalism with a conscience' mean?
Capitalism with a conscience is raising awareness of social issues whilst sustaining 'western capitalist dominance'
For instance when you buy from Starbucks the farmers that grew the beans receive a fair price.

4) What is the (PRODUCT) RED campaign?
The (PRODUCT) RED campaign is a company that creates deals with other companies to create a product such as the red Apple iPhone case, and a percentage of the profits from that specific product will go to (PRODUCT) RED and then will go to charities to help tackle Aids in Africa.

5) Based on what you've read in the Factsheet, what is YOUR opinion of the (PRODUCT) RED brand? Is it a positive force helping to fight AIDS in Africa or a cynical attempt to make multinational companies look more ethical than they actually are?

I think that if the project was actually honest about what they were doing then they could have had a positive impact on AIDS in Africa but so far they have not followed through with their claims.

Media Magazine: Globalisation case study

1) Why was Google Glass controversial?

Privacy can be exploited since people could use this device to film others who are unaware of the situation without permission. It can also allow the user to identify an individual which means that there is a possibility of finding someone who's in front of them, online and can result in internet stalking. As a result of this, Google have had to make recordings visible to, in an attempt to provide resolution, prevent this issue from occurring and have introduced a red light that would show every time something or someone is being recorded using Google Glass. Another issue is that Google itself could use this software to datamine and keep track of what each individual Google Glass user is doing on a day-to-day basis which also exploits the user's privacy at their own discretion. This information could also be used to be sold to marketing companies for example stores to see customers' buying habits, without permission or informed consent.

2) What are the positive elements to Globalisation that the article highlights?

One positive is that it allows for change which is something that the majority of consumers enjoy, particularly within the world of technology. It also provides consumers with a wider variety of choice and opportunities. Therefore, this can improve efficiency of day to day activities since, for example, Google Glass is an extremely portable and user-friendly device. It has also been suggested that people, with this device, are able to encounter technological determinism since users can interact in new ways with their surrounding environment.

3) What are potential negatives to Globalisation?

Globalisation has meant that the minority of producers, as per Pareto's Law is serving the majority of consumers which brings to light the intensity of power that larger MNCs have, not only in their own native country but worldwide. This means that people all over the world are, as in hegemony, essentially handing over some of their rights e.g. privacy to the same American companies, as if they are asking to be controlled. Therefore, as a result of this, the so called "choice" that globalisation can contribute to can often, in itself, be limited removing one of the benefits of this process in the first place. This can also lead to an unequal distribution of income therefore even inhabitants of the host country are missing out on higher incomes since the labour used is international due to the cheap wage prices that MNCs have to pay. As a result, each economy is less well off since the profits are predominantly being shared across the firms and their shareholders as opposed to the rest of the population. This therefore demonstrates the intense levels of control that the minority producers have over the world in comparison to the minute amount provided to consumers worldwide. The fact that 8 of the top 10 countries in FT500's 2013 figures are American shows that this nation has a huge amount of control and power over the masses from every other country as well as its own. Technological determinism also means that technologoy can dictate society as a whole which could make us seem as though we are walking talking zombies who pride ourselves on using man made creation as opposed to interacting with the real world as a whole.

4) What is a techno-panic? How does it link to moral panics?

A techno-panic (Marwick 2008) can occur as a result of new modern technology being able to transform a society's current state and possibly having a negative impact of the inhabitants of each country. This is linked to a moral panic as it suggests that there may be some kind of revolution that will be of a threat to either individual consumers or rival firms of the firm in question. An example of this is the process of people becoming anti-social as a result of prioritising a virtual, online and digital world over the people who are actually in our day to day lives. This would normally panic older generations as they may fear the lack of sanity and security felt by their descendants since people lose touch of what's real and important in comparison to the world of internet.

5) What is your opinion on the privacy debate and major corporations being able to access large quantities of personal data?

I personally find it to be quite unfair for consumers because, although there are alternatives, these firms usually have the same principles as larger firms. For example, Bing's search engine perhaps isn't so different from Google's regarding its privacy terms and conditions. Most people use the internet and may even require it for work purposes but may feel discouraged due to the lack of privacy there is regarding personal data. Therefore, generally even if a person was to use a smaller company, they might not be benefitting as much from their switch in service. Others may view privacy as a small price to pay online if they don't feel that their data would be of any use to onlookers from either the corporation itself or the government. People will, despite being suspicious, still tend to use these services since they know that their income is not being used up on it therefore their privacy is the sacrifice they make in order to use the service.

Marxism vs Pluralism Essay

The development of new/digital media means the audience is more powerful in terms of consumption and production. Discuss the arguments for and against this view.

A Marxist perspective would argue that the so-called “information revolution” has done little to benefit audiences or to subvert the established power structures in society. Far from being a “great leveller” (Krotoski, 2012) as many have claimed, it has merely helped to reinforce the status quo by promoting dominant ideologies. The most popular news website in the UK by a considerable margin is the ‘Mail Online’, which receives more than 8 million hits every month and is continuing to expand rapidly – with forecasts that it will make £100 million or more in digital revenues in the next three years. Similar to its tabloid print edition, the website takes a Conservative, right-wing perspective on key issues around gender, sexuality and race and audiences appear to passively accept what the Marxist theorist, Gramsci, called a hegemonic view. When one of their chief columnists, Jan Moir, wrote a homophobic article about the death of Stephen Gately in 2009 there were Twitter and Facebook protests but, ultimately, they did not change the editorial direction of the gatekeepers controlling the newspaper.

The pluralist perspective suggests that new and digital media has empowered audiences in terms of media production and consumption. One reason for this is that audiences now, according to Gurevitch, have the power to "conform, accommodate or reject" the news on each individual's terms. This therefore shows that with regards to consumption, audiences have a choice about what they will and won't take into account when observing the news. Therefore, pluralists would be seen to agree with the two-step flow model, suggesting that audiences are active members of society when internalising media stories in contrast to the marxist view that they are passive and are influenced by the "hypodermic needle", instead. Audiences also fulfil their desire to observe surveillance and attain information regarding the world in which they live, fitting in well with Blumler & Katz's uses and gratifications theory. This means that they receive what they choose and therefore have control over media content. The phenomenon of UGC has also contributed to audience empowerment as they have the ability to produce content as part of citizen journalism. This means that they can take accountability for news that wouldn't have, otherwise, been broadcast by traditional media outlets. This is in addition to the fact that audiences can now be interactive with content, including that provided by traditional news institutions as they can take advantage of the opportunity to comment and share professional news stories. This supports Guardian editor Rusbridger's proposal that there is mutualisation of the news since both consumers and producers can contribute to creating and distributing the news to the mass audiences.

However, the hypodermic needle theory which supports the Marxist's view of new and digital media, suggests that audiences are injected with information and almost blindly accept any details they receive from the news whether that be via a television set or a print newspaper. This is supported by Tanya Byron's research regarding internet consumption by teenagers who found that 66% of teenagers do not question the validity and accuracy of what they read on the internet. This means that they wouldn't actually have any power to "accommodate and reject" but rather would only actually be able to "conform" to the way that society is, as a result of the agenda that news projects onto these audiences. This means that audiences cannot challenge the "status quo" and are force fed information which means that they actually have no power in society and are just misled and manipulated into thinking that they do. An example of this occurring in a real life instance is during the Arab Spring protests whereby inhabitants of North African countries such as Libya had tried to protest against corruption within their land, led by their political leaders. Although these protesters thought that they had developed themselves as a result of this protest, in actuality, their views were ignored and all that occurred was an uproar to make for a "good news story" since it was a negative story that people like to hear about yet don't actually internalise or take into account.

The pluralist would suggest that although some people may get ignored, there is still opportunity for people to reinforce their own freedom of speech by sharing it online via blogs and having like-minded people form a group in order to have their views listened to by at least a minority. However, this would work in favour of Pareto's law suggesting that the minority of producers serve the majority of consumers, leaving the minority of consumers who'd believe they can think for themselves, to be the only onlookers of the bloggers who actually consider and weigh-up their views.

However, Marxists would have it that, as Andrew Keen suggests, bloggers are being ignored and have been compared to "a million monkeys typing nonsense". This suggests that online activists are being actively mocked and ridiculed as opposed to be uplifted by the masses as their views aren't actually considered. 

Overall, I personally believe that although the pluralists views are positive, they are more idealistic as opposed to realistic. Therefore, I think that people would like to think that they have freedom of speech, which they very well do. However, I think that this often gets ignored and overrided by the information provided by larger corporations due to the levels of trust and brand loyalty these firms have from consumers. This means that the marxist perspective, in my opinion is more in line with reality due to the social hierarchy and elite groups that exist and are influencing society as a whole. I believe that we are being controlled, monitored and manipulated which means that our "power" of consumption and production is extremely limited and restricted.

NDM Story #24 - Pizza Hut's New Concept Restaurant in Shanghai Has Robots on Staff

Pizza Hut's New Concept Restaurant in Shanghai Has Robots on Staff

Summary:

This concept of robots as staff members not only increases efficiency for on the Shanghai Tower, the robots might lure in tourists going to the observation deck the world's second tallest building. "I always suggest to clients, 'you need to be visible, and constantly so, and you need to keep doing things that will make people sit up and take notice of what you're doing,'" Mr. Balivada said.


My opinion:

This shows that they are trying to gain an increase in brand loyalty and they feel as innovation in efficient customer service would cause more sales. Especially after the sales decline of 1%; for Pizza Hut's casual dining restaurants specifically, the figure was down 4%. They are determined that robots would not only be the unique selling point of the restaurant but it would be a reason why customers will continue to come back.

NDM Story #23 - Citizen journalism? Nothing new about that

Citizen journalism? Nothing new about that

Summary:

The Croydon Guardian newspaper is attempting to encourage citizen journalism by allowing readers of the paper to publish their own stories, in the form of a newspaper article, onto their website. This has been done in order to "get even more of (readers') news stories onto (their) websites. However, this article suggests to the readers that this isn't a new occurrence that has only become due to the presence of NDM, but has, in fact, been a method used years ago whereby the local papers contained reports from locals such as a teacher at a school.

My opinion:

In all honesty, I wasn't entirely aware that it was a fairly common procedure for citizen journalism to have taken place pre-social media. However, the method in which this Guardian outlet is promoting digital citizen journalism is, in my opinion, interesting since I haven't seen this type of advertisement before whether online or in a print newspaper article. The closest I've ever seen to this process is an interactive piece where they encourage readers to ask one of the paper's team members a question such as "Dear Deidre." Therefore it was interesting to see that now readers actually get a chance to report their own stories. I think this is a clever technique used by The Guardian since they are able to take advantage of and profit from readers' experiences which means they do not need to pay wages to the readers and are therefore increasing their profits, in the process of producing these stories, for the most part due to the simplicity of uploading items on the web, nowadays.

Marxism & Pluralism: Alain de Botton on the news

1) To what extent do you agree with Alain de Botton's views on the News?

I agree that there is a lot of absurd news being produced and not enough important and beneficial news is being released by the press. I think that a lot of this is due to the fact that audiences seem to care less about more important factual stories and would rather hear stories about minute "issues" in society. I found that this has caused corruption in the ness industry as a result since the wrong things are being reported and not enouigh attention is paid to authentic information.

2) How can you link Marxism and Hegemony to de Botton's criticisms of the News?

I think that the idea that excessive news is used to drown the public with often useless information fits in with Marxism as is demonstrates the manipulation that occurs between producers and consumers to ensure that people are in line with the "status quo" and continue to conform to the constant demands of society produced by the reactions to all of these news values and ideas.

3) How could you use Pluralism and new technology to challenge de Botton's views on the News?

Pluralism would argue that the new technology allows for a range of views and opinions to be shared and this increased information can be presented to an audience who get to actively choose what they do with the information and aren't mindlessly influenced and overwhelmed by the information. This is because they would argue they are an active audience as opposed to a passive one.

4) Choose two news stories from the last six months - one that supports de Botton's views and one that challenges his belief that the News is used for social control. 

For: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34444233
Against: http://www.skees.org/story/scooping-international-news-while-empowering-women-global-press-institute/